Deanna M. Munson & Artyce Hedrick, How to clean and disinfect textiles, Kansas State University, August 1993

Artyce, Hedrick

Munson, Deanna M.

K-State Research Exchange

Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension ServiceHow to Clean and Disinfect Textiles   Articles that have been heavily contaminatedwith toxic chemicals such as concentratedpesticides or embedded fiberglass or asbestosshould be thrown away. Many products labeled“dry-clean only” and severely damaged textilesare already ruined. Due to sewage, pesticideand other unknown toxic materials in floodwaters, many clothing and interior textileproducts should be thrown away.   Start cleanup as soon as possible afterflooding has occurred. To prevent furtherdamage:• Separate wet items to keep clothingcolors from running together. Sort outclothing that should be dry-cleaned.• Air-dry items before taking them to adry cleaner.When drying items yoususpect may have been in sewage-contaminated water wear rubber gloves.• Do not dry any clothes near a heatsource such as a stove. Dry at air orroom temperature. Increase roomtemperature by running a furnace orstove if safe and possible.   If possible, take all furniture and rugsoutdoors to dry.   Dry and air bedding, clothing and rugsquickly to prevent mildew.   Keep chemicals used for disinfecting, andpoisons used for insects and rodent control outof the reach of children.   Wear protective clothing on legs, arms, feetand hands while cleaning debris. Wear rubbergloves while scrubbing flood-damaged interiorsand furniture.   If  clothes were soaked during storm flooding,be aware that the flood water may have beencontaminated with sewage waste.   Simply drying the clothes is not enough.For safety’s sake, they must be disinfectedto kill all harmful bacteria. Liquid chlorinebleach is the cheapest and easiest disinfectantto use in the home. However, chlorine bleachcannot be used on some garments. Sincechlorine bleach both disinfects and bleaches,when chlorine bleach can’t be used, both adisinfectant and an oxygen bleach will beneeded. Dry cleaning is also effective. However,most textiles that require dry cleaning havealready been ruined (i.e. shrunk, lost color) bythe flood waters.Directions for CleaningFlood-soiled Fabrics 1   Be sure that wash water is safe to use beforewashing clothing. Be sure the washing machineis clean and sanitized. Scrape mud and/or shakedirt and residue from fabrics, then rinse orwash as soon as possible to help prevent thegrowth of mildew. Prewash fabrics in cool waterusing powdered laundry detergent. Do not usehot water, as hot water may set stains.• Some washers have a prewash cyclethat includes a short soak period; thewasher may automatically advance tothe regular wash. Refer to your washerinstruction manual to see how to setyour washer for the automatic prewashcycle or how to manually set the controlsto agitate and then spin.• Use small loads with a full water level.• To help remove protein stains, such assewage, add an enzyme presoak productto the prewash.• Measure detergent into the washer,then add water and allow detergent tothoroughly dissolve before addingclothes.Outdated Publication, for historical use. CAUTION: Recommendations in this publication may be obsolete.Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension ServiceMF-1132 August 1993It is the policy of Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service that all persons shall have equal opportu-nity and access to its educational programs, services, activities, and materials without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability.Kansas State University is an equal opportunity organization. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, asamended. Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, Extension Districts, and United States Department of Agriculture Cooperating, Marc A.Johnson, Director.• Allow clothes to rinse and spin dry.Do not dry in the dryer.   Pretreat heavily soiled stains with a prewashsoil and stain remover or an enzymepresoak product.• A prewash soil and stain removerworks well on oil-based stains likeanimal fats,  soils, cooking oils, cosmeticsand motor oils.• An enzyme presoak works well onprotein stains like blood, body fluids,dairy products and grass.   Wash clothing using small loads and a fullwater level.• Use hottest water safe for fabric.• Use a powdered laundry detergent (apowdered detergent is effective inremoving clay and ground-in dirt), usingslightly more detergent thanrecommended on the package.• Since clothing may have beencontaminated with sewage, it isimportant to use a disinfectant 2  in thewash. Use a disinfectant that haslaundry directions on the label andfollow those directions or use chlorinebleach (Note: If there is a large amountof iron in soil deposits or in the water,chlorine bleach can cause rust stains toappear on fabrics. Check labels. Somefabrics cannot be washed using chlorinebleach.)• If chlorine bleach is not recommended,a color-safe (oxygen) bleach will alsohelp remove stains and odors, and willnot set rust stains. However, color-safebleaches do not disinfect.   If there are rust or rust-colored stains onfabrics, use a commercially prepared rustremover to help remove them. Look for theseproducts in the laundry or fabric dye section ofthe supermarket. Usually they are intended tobe used on white or colorfast fabrics. They cancause color removal. Follow package directionsand test first on a small area of the garmentthat won’t show.   If  fabrics have been wet for any length oftime, mildew might appear. Wash stained itemsusing chlorine bleach, if safe for fabric. Or, soakin oxygen bleach and hot water, then wash.Mildew is difficult to remove, and badlymildewed fabrics may be damaged beyondrepair.   Continue to wash as many times as needed.Do not dry fabrics in a dryer until you aresatisfied with the results. Drying in a dryer canset stains, making them impossible to remove.1 The Soap and Detergent Association, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016, July 93.2 For disinfecting, use only products that display an EPA Registration Number on the label.This assures that the product has met EPA requirements for disinfectants. When using anydisinfecting product follow the label directions for use. Most disinfectants, other than chlorinebleach, are effective only on hard surfaces.Deanna Munson, Extension Specialist, TextilesArtyce Hedrick, Extension Specialist, ClothingOutdated Publication, for historical use. CAUTION: Recommendations in this publication may be obsolete.

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